Fox contributed more than money. “Jerry and I walked the halls of Sacramento for years to get government support for EMQ’s program,” he recalls. Fox introduced Doyle to a prominent California legislator, Jim Cuneen, who later sponsored a provision in the budget for the children’s services in the state assembly.

“Lobbying has enabled us to move from program to policy,” Doyle explains.

“It’s allowed us to impact so many more kids than otherwise would have been possible.” Since Fox and Doyle began their lobbying efforts in the early 1990s, government funding for the organization has increased annually—nearly tripling from $17 million in 1999 to more than $46 million in 2003.

Audrey Alvarado, executive director of the National Council of Nonprofit Associations in Washington, warns that even though the IRS recommendation relieves foundations of the burden of auditing grant recipients to learn if they engage in lobbying, it does not absolve them of all responsibility. “A message has been sent through the community of foundations that they need to be vigilant about making sure their funds are being used in a lawful manner,” she says. Foundations should request a copy of the budget proposed for their grants, and monitor the annual reports, financial statements and press releases of their grant recipients.